University of Colorado researchers believe that fructose, a common sweetener found in table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, and used in a variety of prepared products, may be a major player in why Americans are packing on the pounds.
Fructose is a natural, simple sugar commonly found in fruits and honey. Table sugar and high fructose corn syrup are found in ketchup, molasses, baked goods, candies, soft drinks, and juices. The scientists from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus theorize that fructose lowers and blocks the production of the body’s supply of adenosine triphosphate or ATP, a compound that naturally supplies energy to our cells. This results in a decrease in metabolism, so fewer calories from food are burned as energy.
According to the New York Post, this shift can cause weight gain. The study, published in the journal Obesity, noted that fructose resets ATP to a lower level in the cells and suppresses mitochondria, which generate energy to power cells.
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